Greater Dayton Regional Transit Auth. v. Amalgamated Transit Union AFL CIO Local 1385

Transit Workers Win Fight Against Outsourcing Their Jobs

This case involved a dispute between the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority and the local bus drivers' union. The transit authority had been hiring outside companies to provide some of the transportation services for people with disabilities, instead of using their own union bus drivers who normally did this work. The union argued this violated their collective bargaining agreement, which is the contract between the employer and union that sets working conditions and job duties.

An arbitrator (a neutral decision-maker) ruled in favor of the union, saying the transit authority broke their contract by giving away work that should have been done by union drivers. When the transit authority tried to challenge this decision in court, the judge upheld the arbitrator's ruling and refused to overturn it.

Why this matters for workers: This case shows that collective bargaining agreements can protect union workers from having their jobs outsourced to outside companies. When employers try to contract out work that's normally done by union members, the union can fight back through arbitration. Courts will generally support these arbitration decisions when they're based on valid contract interpretation, giving workers an important tool to protect their jobs and working conditions.